1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a suspension system for attatching a user's foot to a device which contacts the ground and more particularly a footgear suspension system having pivotable swingarms and an energy absorbing means.
2. Description of the Related Art
Roller-skating has been an enjoyable pastime for many generations of human beings and originally, the roller-skates used were of the so-called "quad" type with each skate having two wheels in the front and two wheels in the rear.
The next great development in skate technology came when linear skates were introduced. Linear skates increased skater speeds and maneuverability of skates. Linear or in-line skates have at least three wheels and may utilize more, some say as a generality the more wheels the smoother the ride.
In-line roller-skates have become very popular among ice skaters as a training tool as the same bodily movements arc utilized by both ice skaters and in-line skaters. In fact it has been rumored that in the year 2000 in-line skating will be an Olympic sport.
The first in-line skates appeared in the patent office as early as 1876 in U.S. Pat. No. 7,345 of C. W. Saladee which disclosed a complicated two wheel device which was quite heavy and difficult to manufacture.
A three wheeled skate utilizing a track which surrounds the wheels so as to avoid damaging wooden floors was introduced by O. G. Reiske U.S. Pat. No. 2,412,290 in 1946. The intermediate wheel was vertically adjustable to allow for forward and rearward rocking action.
Perhaps the most utilized in-line skate design is the Ware frame, U.S. Pat. No. 3,287,023 to G. K. Ware in 1966. This frame incorporates a metal frame with various axle apertures which allow for wheel height variance in many combinations. This skate utilized a tough resilient rubber wheel with press-in bearings.
In 1993, Patrick G. Gates in U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,934 disclosed an in-line skate ski of the two wheel variety which consisted of a single body rigid skate chassis upon which a brake and somewhat elaborate foot strap were attached. The entire system was devoid of any suspension except for pneumatic tires which were presumably inflated through a valve along the edge of the tire. The whole system utilized components that were "readily available" and not necessarily specialized. The skate chassis rested directly upon the wheel axles and thus reduced the lever arm of the foot plane to the wheel to approximately a minimum. The clearance of the entire apparatus was limited to approximately half of the wheel which was indicated to be about three inches.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,413 issued Apr. 2, 1996 to Pavel Belogour of Boston, Mass. disclosed a skate with a spring and a pivot but the skate contained no means for changing surface contacting means and no way of changing force directions and moving forces away from the user. In fact, the forces that travel through the rear spring of Pavel's "in-line roller skates with suspension" are pointed directly at the user. Also Pavel's invention only relates to an "in-line roller skate" not a footgear suspension device that may mount to or be integral with many surface contacting means, nor does the "in-line roller skate with suspension" offer the possibilities of adjustable releasable bindings. Pavel's "in-line roller skates with suspension" also comprise "a wheel frame, with two vertical side members and a plurality of wheels connected between the side members, pivotally connected to the front toe plate." The "in-line roller skates with suspension" disclosed by Pavel contain a front toe plate integral to their function where the footgear suspension device does not have a front toe plate. The "in-line roller skates with suspension" also use conventional in-line skate technology and lack significant stability, traction, control, and any effective mechanical suspension advantage. The "in-line roller skates with suspension" do not account for issues such as ground clearance, vectoral force transfer, energy absorbing device monitoring, and suspension travel. The "in-line roller skates with suspension" also offer no possibilities for integrating pieces such as chassis, footwear, energy absorbing devices, swingarms, bindings, surface contacting means.
Other tandem roller-skates with various wheel structures and skate chassis are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,385 to Olson; U.S. Pat. No. 3,880,441 to Silver; U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,203 to Kukulowicz; U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,252 to Carlson; U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,158 to Liberkowski; U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,277 to Pratt; U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,940 to Brandner; U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,231 to Ho; U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,278 to Wittman; U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,071 to Soo; U.S. Pat No. 4,310,168 to Macaluso; U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,422 to Hornsby; U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,356 to Conte; U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,286 to Pozzobon; U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,301 to Malewicz; U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,321 to Sbrilli; U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,244 to Allison; at least three U.S. Patents concerning suspension are U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,302; U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,784; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,246.
The prior art lacks stability, control, and traction. The prior art also lacks suspension with mechanical advantage. It was in an effort to provide a functional design permitting greater traction, suspension and suspension travel, and mechanical advantage, in order to create higher speeds for racers, better and more advanced performance for recreational users, and a softer foot to surface contact to help protect human joint surfaces, bones, and tissues. The footgear suspension device offers advantages in many places where all of today's existing skates and similar foot gear are lacking. It was in an effort to provide these advantages that the present invention was conceived.